Opera in the Heights will open its holiday family offering, Amahl and the Night Visitors

Opera in the Heights will open its holiday family offering, Amahl and the Night Visitors, on December 7th.  For press inquiries during the week of Nov. 10-18th please contact Daniel Taylor (cc-ed here) at daniel@operaintheheights.org. Additional photos are attached.

Pictured here: Jan Cornelius in the role of Mother and Michael Karash in the role of Amahl. Photo credit: Pin Lim

Opera in the Heights presents a holiday family classic, Amahl and the Night Visitors, paired with a special performance of Respighi’s Botticelli Triptych featuring the Oh! orchestra

HOUSTON (November 9th, 2019) Opera in the Heights (Oh!) will present Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, an all-time holiday favorite paired with a special performance of Respighi’s Botticelli Triptych, a symphonic work which will feature the Oh! Orchestra. Performances will take place on Dec. 7th, 8th, 14th and 15th. Following the performances, families are invited to the Lambert Hall stage for an instrument petting zoo with the Oh! orchestra and cast members. Children’s priced tickets are available.

The opera depicts the story of Amahl, a young disabled boy, who lives in poverty with his mother in a town near Bethlehem. When they are visited by the three kings, the mother acts in desperation, but Amahl gives selflessly and all bear witness to a divine miracle.

In recent years, Opera in the Heights has taken drastic measures to diversify its programming in order to appeal to families, children and first-time opera goers. “We want to serve our immediate community by producing opera that’s relevant to their stage in life. Amahl and the Night Visitors is the perfect opera for families to enjoy together,” says Paige Myrick, Oh! Executive Director.

On December 24th, 1951, the country gathered around their televisions as Amahl and the Night Visitors was broadcast live on the NBC network. It was the first opera composed for television. The Italian-America composer, Gian Carlo Menotti, created the work with commercial breaks in mind which makes the opera song-like and lyrical with strong musical cadences throughout.

The production features a local cast which includes 12-year old, Michael Karash, in the title role. Michael, a 12-year old 7th grader in Katy, will to make his opera debut with the company. Michael has been featured in several commercials and TV shows and was recently nominated to perform at the 2019 Broadway Dreams NYC Showcase. Jan Cornelius, who has been praised by Opera News as a “wonderfully attractive soprano with a solid core, tipped with a silvery edge,” also makes her Oh! debut in the role of Mother.

Cast:

Michael Karash, (Amahl)

Jan Cornelius, soprano (Mother)
Jarret Ward, tenor (King Kaspar)
Geoffrey Peterson, baritone (King Melchoir)
Jason Zacher, bass-baritone (King Belthazar)
Jorge Belonni, bass-baritone (The Page)

Saturday, December 7th at 5:00 pm

Sunday, December 8th, at 2:00 pm
Saturday, December 14th, at 5:00 pm

Saturday, December 15th, at 2:00 pm
*Instrument petting zoo and cast meet and greet will be held onstage following all performances

 

Running time for the performance is one and a half hours including one intermission.

 

Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Boulevard, Houston, TX. For tickets, priced from $24.50 to $84.50, visit www.operaintheheights.org/amahl.